SOIL MECHANICS

BEG359CI
Year:

Semester:

Teaching
Schedule
Hours/
Week

Examination Scheme

Final
Theory
L

2/2

Practical

Total Marks

Remarks

Internal
Assessments
Theory Marks Practical
Marks

Duration Marks Duration Marks

Hours
8
3
0
--

2
0

2
5

12
5

Course objective:
The objective of this course is to provide the student with concept and nature of soil with relating to
index and engineering properties of soil. Which also provide the knowledge about the slope stability.
1.0

Introduction
1.1
Importance of soil and soil problems in Civil engineering
1.2
Historical development of soil mechanics
1.3
General approach of solving soil mechanics problems

2 Hours

2.0

Physical and Index properties of Soils

2.1
Soil as a three phase materials
2.2
Index properties of soil
2.3
Determination of various index properties

6 Hours

3.0

Soil Identification and Classification

3.1
Field identification of soils
3.2
Soil Classification: Descriptive, Textural, ISI, MIT and Unified

6 Hours

3.3

Practical implications of the soil classification system

4.0

Soil Compaction
4.1
Compaction process and compaction theories
4.2
Moisture density relationship and degree of compaction
4.3
Laboratory determination of compaction characteristics
4.4
Field compaction and compaction control
4.5
Effects of compaction on engineering behaviour of soils

4 Hours

5.0

Soil Water Interaction

5.1
Mode of occurrence of water in soils
5.2
surface tension and the capillary phenomenon
5.3
Flow of water through the soil mass
5.4
Permeability of soils
5.5
Determination of the coefficient of permeability: laboratory and field methods
5.6
Pumping tests through confined and unconfined aquifers
5.1
Effects of water on swelling and shrinkage of soils

6.0

Principles of Effective stress

6.1
Stresses in subsoil
6.2
Effective stress principle

4 Hours

6.3
6.4

Physical interpretation of effective stress equations of the static and flow conditions
Quick sand phenomenon and remedial measures

7.0

Seepage Analysis
7.1
Two dimensional fluid flow
7.2
Conditions for continuity of flow
7.3
Laplaces equation, flow nets and their principles
7.4
Boundary conditions
7.5
Flow nets and their application
7.6
Laplaces equation for an Isotropic soil and its application
7.7
Deflection of flow lines at the interface of two different soils
7.8
Phreatic line in an earth dam
7.1
Design of filter

8.0

Stress Distribution in Soils

6 Hours
8.1
State of stress at a point in the subsoil
8.2
Stress from elastic theories
8.3
Boussinesqus theory of stress distribution
8.4
Extension of Boussinesqs analysis to uniformly loaded areas
8.5
Use of Newmarks charts and other tables and charts in computing stresses
8.6
Effects of layer systems on stress distribution
elastic settlement and contact pressure

9.0

Shear Strength of soils

9.1

Concept of shear strength

9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.8
9.9
9.10

Principal planes and principal stresses

Mohr Coulomb theory of shear strength
Mohrs stress Circle and failure envelop
Relation between Principal stresses at failure
Types of shear tests
Vane shear test
Shear strength of sands
Shear strength of saturated and unsaturated clays

6 Hours

7 Hours

10.0

Consolidation and Settlement

7 Hours
10.1
Behaviour of soil under compressive loads
10.2
Settlement of structures resting on soil: its nature, causes and remedial measures
10.3
The consolidation process and Terzaghis spring Analogy.
10.4
Primary and secondary consolidation
10.5
Consolidation test
10.6
Compressibility of soil
10.7
Normally consolidated (NC) clays, over consolidated (OC) clays and pre-consolidation
pressure
10.8
Determination of field pressure void curve
10.9
Estimation of consolidation settlement
10.10 Rate and degree of consolidation
10.11 Terzaghis theory of one dimensional consolidation
10.12 Determination of coefficient of consolidation
10.13 Estimation of rate and magnitude of settlement

11.0

Stability of Slopes
11.1 Causes of slope movements and failures
11.2 Types of slope and slope failures
11.3 Critical surfaces and factor of safety
11.4 Method of stability analysis and stability number

6 Hours

11.5
11.6
11.7
11.8

Stability Analysis of Infinite slopes

Stability Analysis of finite slopes
Methods of slices
Remedial measures for slope stability problems

Laboratories:
Eight Laboratory exercises will be performed in this course, in addition to one-day field trip. They
are:
a) Determination of Atterberg limit of soil.
b) Use of in situ density core cutter and the method of sand replacement.
c) Determination of optimum moisture content and maximum dry density.
d) Unconfined compression test
e) Direct shear test.
f) Constant head permeability test.
g) UU triaxial test.
Recommended Books:
1.

A Text Book of Soil Mechanics, Dr. Sehgal, S. B. CBS Publishers and Distributors, New
Delhi, 1988.

2.

Soil Mechanics in Engineering practice , Terzaghi, K and Peck, R.B. , John Wiley, 2nd
Edition, New York, 1967.

3. Soil mechanics and Foundation engineering Dr. K.R.Arora

4. Soil mechanics and Foundation engineering B.C. Punmia
5. Geotech Engineering V.N.S. Murthy
Marks distribution on soil Mechanics:Chapter Time allocated (hours) Marks distribution
1
2
2
6
8
3
6
8
4
4
8
5
6
8
6
4
8
7
6
8
8
6
8
9
7
8
10
7
8
11
6
8
Note

Question no;-6 contains short notes on any four(4*4)

(a)--------(b)-- -- --- ( c)------------(d)------------(e)----------Chapter one will be covered on short notes .Remaining other four short will be from any other
chapter .